Virtual Water Cooler Chat

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast features Connor Houghton, a partner in Reichman, Jorgensen, Lehman & Feldberg LLP’s Washington, D.C. office.   Connor’s practice is focused on intellectual property and commercial litigation in a wide variety of technologies and sectors, including in cases before federal district and appellate courts, the International Trade Commission (ITC), and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Connor’s experience includes participating in all phases of litigation, from pre-litigation through trial and appeal. He has also managed filing and defending inter partes review proceedings before the Patent Office, and briefed complex issues before district courts and the Federal Circuit.  Connor earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Northeastern University and his law degree from Harvard Law School. Before joining RJLF, he was an associate at Finnegan in Washington, D.C.  Connect with Connor on LinkedIn.    Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.  Legal Disclaimer: This video is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. 

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast features Thomas Yeh, a Partner at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. His practice focuses on patent and trade secret disputes in federal district courts, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and the International Trade Commission. Thomas has successfully litigated dozens of high-profile intellectual property matters, frequently through trial. Most recently, he secured back-to-back jury trial wins, followed by a complainant-side victory at the International Trade Commission that resulted in a nine-figure settlement. In addition, Thomas served as global coordinating counsel for one of the largest worldwide patent enforcement actions in history on behalf of a leading global semiconductor company, simultaneously filing more than 20 patent cases in U.S. district courts, the International Trade Commission, and around the world.  Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn.    Today’s guest interviewer is Camelia Gilani. At the time of this interview, Camelia had been working as a Litigation Assistant at Virtual Patent Gateway for nearly two years. Now, she is 1L studying law at Southwestern Law School in Southern California.  Connect with Camelia on LinkedIn.    Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.  Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. 

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat Podcast features Steven Ngo, the host of 2 Dads 1 Car, a leading podcast that discusses modern fatherhood and the unspoken truths about parenting. By day, he is a technology lawyer at Rivian, a law professor at the University of British Columbia, and a guest lecturer at UC Berkeley.  Steven was named one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer Magazine and serves on the Board of Governors for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), representing over 80,000 legal professionals across North America. He is also the recipient of the BC Medal of Good Citizenship in recognition of his advocacy work against anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic.  On the weekends, you’ll likely find Steven out in nature with his four-year-old daughter, making music with friends on his guitar or piano, or honing his BBQ skills on the patio.  Connect with Steven on LinkedIn.   Our guest interview is Eli Chan, a third-year undergraduate Biology student at the University of Santa Barbara. Through working as a marketing and business development intern for the past two years at Murgitroyd and RWS, he has gained valuable skills in the communication, technology, and legal fields; having conversations with many experts in corporate and intellectual property law has given him a new passion to find a career in patent law. By studying biology, Eli is hoping that he will be able to apply his background to assist with patent ideas and better understand new inventions with biotech and pharma.   Eli has been an ADAPT.legal mentee for the past year, enabling him to meet both in-house and outside counsel, and learn about the processes to enter the field and how to succeed. In his free time, Eli enjoys playing basketball, golfing, and reading sci-fi novels.  Connect with Eli on LinkedIn.    Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here.  Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. 

This episode features Michelle Gabellini, an intellectual property Paralegal at Juniper Networks.  Michelle Gabellini is an Intellectual Property Program Manager and Paralegal with nearly two decades of experience spanning global technology companies and top law firms. She has managed worldwide patent portfolios, built cross-functional innovation programs, and partnered with leadership to strengthen collaboration between legal, business, and engineering teams. Her career path—from high-stakes IP litigation to building in-house IP operations at Juniper Networks, Plaid, Block, and Capital One—illustrates how she has turned setbacks into stepping stones for growth and innovation. Beyond her legal expertise, Michelle champions diversity, equity, and inclusion, creating initiatives that empower women inventors and amplify underrepresented voices in tech. A mom and dog mom, she balances her love of law with passions for fashion, interiors, and finding beauty in nature, always bringing warmth, creativity, and connection. Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn.    Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here   Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. 

This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Wesley White, a Litigation Partner at Orrick.  Wesley is a trial attorney who represents plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes patent disputes in district and administrative courts across the country. His experience resolving complex and strategic problems at the intersection of law, technology, and finance allows him to filter out noise, identify the issues that will resonate most with juries and judges at trial, and present those issues in a relatable manner that helps him secure favorable results for his clients both in and out of the courtroom.  Wesley has guided clients through all stages of litigation, including conducting pre-suit diligence, fact and expert, claim construction, evidentiary and dispositive motions, and post-trial. He has handled complex disputes across a diverse range of technology sectors, including computer hardware and software, networking devices, virtualization and cloud computing, antennas, encryption and compression technology, VOIP telephony, flash memory, e-commerce platforms, video/media streaming, web and mobile applications, life sciences, and medical and surgical devices.  Wesley’s achievements have earned him recognition as a Super Lawyers and Managing IP “Rising Star” in intellectual property disputes, and he was named to Lawdragon’s 2023 Inaugural 500 X Next Generation Rising Stars list. Prior to beginning his legal career, Wesley worked as an analyst for five years with Goldman Sachs.  Connect with Wesley on LinkedIn.   Today’s guest interviewer is Ethan Wo, a curious STEM student and civil engineering graduate from UC Irvine who is taking time to explore the IP space. After working in the construction industry, he is now working at VPG as a Litigation Assistant.  Connect with Ethan on LinkedIn.    Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG.    Learn more about VPG here    Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.